Study Desk

Saul approved the stoning of Stephen. Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned very much for him. At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered terribly. All of the Lord's followers, except the apostles, were scattered everywhere in Judea and Samaria.

Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail.

For some time a man named Simon had lived in the city of Samaria and had amazed the people. He practiced witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great.

For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him.

So Philip left. An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship

and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way.

and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.

I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name."

Then he ate and felt much better. For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus.

Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, "Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to the chief priests?"

There he met a man named Aeneas, who for eight years had been sick in bed and could not move.

In Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha. Her Greek name was Dorcas, which means "deer." She was always doing good things for people and had given much to the poor.

Peter stayed on for a while in Joppa in the house of a man named Simon, who made leather.

Now send some men to Joppa for a man named Simon Peter.

The voice spoke to him again, "When God says that something can be used for food, don't say it isn't fit to eat."

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men are here looking for you.

Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?"

They answered, "Captain Cornelius sent us. He is a good man who worships God and is liked by the Jewish people. One of God's holy angels told Cornelius to send for you, so he could hear what you have to say."

The next day they arrived in Caesarea where Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends.

I agreed to come here, but I want to know why you sent for me."